Methods and means for full-surface interferometric testing of grazing incidence mirrors

ABSTRACT

The disclosed method and means measure the characteristics of an optical device by directing light waves by normal-incidence sub-aperture interferometry on the optical device, shear-polarizing the light directed onto the optical device, and analyzing the results of the interference to obtain the characteristics of the optical device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to methods and means for analyzing the figure andsurface roughness characteristics of grazing incidence optics, forexample the type that would be utilized in the generation andpropagation of directed energy in the X-ray and hard UV regions, and thetype used in chemical lasers, excimer lasers, laboratory x-ray lasers,gamma ray lasers, and free electron lasers.

Optical components used in X-ray and hard UV radiation at grazingincidence are generally in the shape long narrow segments of cylinders.Other grazing incidence and beam coupling optics include a wide varietyof aspheric surfaces such as off-axis paraboloids, toroids, ellipsoids,etc. Such aspheres are generally difficult to test by conventionalinterferometry since the diffraction limitation at visible wavelengthsmakes the interpretation of interferograms extremely difficult. Testingfinished optics requires a noncontact arrangement to avoid potentialaccidents which could damage the surface.

In the past, such tests and measurements have been slow and createdsensitivity to thermal and other environmental effects that haveseriously impaired the effectiveness of instruments that attempted tomeasure the figure of optical surfaces to the tolerances necessary forgrazing incidence X-ray, UV and imaging at other wavelengths by off-axisaspheric optics. Classical interferometers of the Twyman-Green or Fizeautypes have shown sensitivity to vibration and turbulence, requiredcomplex null optics, and operated at slow speeds with limited accuracy.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to overcome these difficulties.

An object of the invention is to improve methods and means forconveniently and accurately measuring both the full surface figure aswell as the surface roughness of optical devices.

Another object is to carry out these measurements rapidly.

According to a feature of the invention, these objects are attained inwhole or in part by causing interference between two laterally shearedwaves produced by a Wollaston prism.

According to another feature, an interferometer creating theinterference operates in the common path, equal path mode.

According to still another feature, the measurements are made ofindividual sub-apertures phases by normal incidence interferometry.These sub-apertures overlap and are combined into the full surfaceshape.

These and other features of the invention are pointed out in the claims.Other objects and advantages of the invention will become evident fromthe following detailed description when read in light of theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partially schematic perspective view of a device embodyingfeatures of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a portion of the device in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the scanning arrangement performed by thedevice of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a mirror illustrating the types of errorswhich may be tested.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, a polarization shearing interferometer 10 embodying theinvention includes an interferometer head 12 in the form of apolarization shearing interferometer. A scanning arrangement 14 shownonly as a line cooperates with the head 12 to translate the headlaterally in discrete steps. The head 12 projects a cylindrical testbeam 16 onto the test optic, namely a mirror 18 under test. The testbeam 16 produces sub-aperture projections, for example sub-apertureprojections 20-26, which overlap as shown in FIG. 4. An optical table 30holds the test mirror and the spectrometer 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates details of the head 12 as it projects the test beam16 onto the mirror 18. Here, a polarizer P1 passes a beam from a laserLA through a phase-shifting electro-optic modulator EOM. Abeam-expanding lens L1 forms a parallel expanded beam which a beamsplitter BS transmits to a second lens L2. The latter focuses the lightthrough a Wollaston prism WP at the focus of the lens L2. A collimatinglens CL receives the light from prism WP and produces a parallel beam. Acylindrical lens CYL projects the light onto the mirror 18 in anexpanded cylindrical beam 16.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the lens CL, the lens CYL and the mirror 18.

The mirror 18 returns the light through lenses CYL and CL, the prism WP,and the lens L2. The beam splitter BS reflects the returned light towarda polarizer P2 which transmits the light so it strikes one or morecharge coupled devices CCD which sense the light. The latter transducesthe light into electrical signals. A computer COM analyzes the data fromthe devices CCD. The computer COM also utilizes the signals from thedevices CCD to control scanning by the head 12, and drives a highvoltage source HV that adjusts the modulator EOM.

The interferometer measures the slopes z/ x and z/ y from which thecomputer COM determines the shape function z(x,y). The head 12 scans themirror 18 by making overlapping sub-aperture projections.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating sub-aperture projections 20and 21 of the head 12 as it scans the mirror 18 during a sub-aperturetest. Successive sub-apertures are measured by phase measuringinterferometry and the full surface shape is synthesized by aleast-square method using continuity cryterions and information from theoverlap areas. The result is a long trace and full aperture surfacescan.

Processing by the computer COM involves digital phase measurement whichyields the "x" and "y" slopes, and digital two dimensional integrationwhich yields the surface profile for each sub-aperture. The computer COMsynthesizes the full surface profile with uniform accuracy throughoutfrom the set of sub-aperture interferograms using surface fitting.

In general, the interferometer 10 includes a translatable optical head12, an expanded cylindrical beam 16, and sub-aperture projections suchas 20 to 26 on the test optic 18. The entire assembly rests on anoptical table 30. The head 12 is that of a modified polarizationshearing interferometer. Its advantages are that the scans are fast,operate with a high degree of stability, are capable of separate "x" and"y" measurement, can be aligned on a test surface, have a variablesensitivity, and be sensitive to slope errors.

FIG. 5 illustrates the meanings of the terms "Figure" as the overallsurface shape (curvature, etc.) of the mirror 18, "Macroroughness" aserrors in the mm spatial frequency range, and "Microroughness" as errorsin the micron spatial frequency range. The interferometer 10 accordingto the invention scans and measures sub-apertures and synthesizes theminto a full aperture scan that yields the macroroughness and opticalfigure of the full surface. The microroughness is measured, forinstance, by the Wyko profiler. The interferometer 10 carries out themeasurements rapidly, such as in less than 1 second, thereby minimizingsensitivity to thermal and other environmental effects that haveseriously impaired the effectiveness of instruments that attempted tomeasure the figure of optical surfaces to the tolerances necessary forgrazing incidence X-ray, UV and imaging at other wavelengths by off-axisaspheric optics.

The invention overcomes the many difficulties encountered by knowninterferometer of the Twyman-Green or Fizeau types by reducingsensitivity to vibration and turbulence. The interferometer can measureaspherical surfaces with high speed and accuracy. The polarizationnature of the invention permits desensitized and controlled fringemanipulation external to the interferometer. The invention uses normalincidence, sub-aperture interferometry and polarization shearinginterferometry. It surmounts many of the problems encountered by othertechniques. It involves three sequential operations, namely,sub-aperture slope measurement, wavefront integration, and surfaceprofile synthesis. The instrument 10 is suitable for X-ray and UV highresolution lithography, medical imaging, basic research in astronomy,physics, and microbiology.

While embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention may beembodied otherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for measuring the characteristics ofan optical device, comprising:normal incidence, sub-apertureinterferometry means for obtaining sequential data from sequentialoverlapping sub-aperture areas of the optical device; saidinterferometry means including polarization shearing means for shearpolarizing light in said sub-aperture interferometry means; synthesizingmeans coupled to said interferometry means for analyzing thecharacteristics obtained from said interferometry means; and saidsynthesizing means including means for combining the sequential datafrom the sequential overlapping sub-aperture areas of the opticaldevice.
 2. A method of measuring the characteristics of an opticaldevice, comprising:sequentially directing light waves onto sequentialoverlapping sub-aperture areas of the optical device at normal incidenceso that the sequential sub-aperture areas of the optical device reflectthe light and interfere with the light so as to produce interferencemeasurements; shear-polarizing the light directed onto the opticaldevice; and analyzing results of the interference obtained from thelight to obtain the characteristics of the optical device, by combiningsequential data from sequential overlapping sub-aperture areas of theoptical device.